Laserfiche WebLink
2.2.3 Herbaceous Production <br />• Herbaceous production was estimated by the harvest method. One herbaceous production <br />plot was located and randomly oriented at the origin of each cover transect. Additional <br />production plots were randomly located. Herbaceous production plots were 0.50 square <br />meters in area. All current year above ground live herbaceous plant biomass was clipped <br />within the 0.50 square meter quadrat. Perennial grasses, annual grasses, and annual, biennial, <br />and perennial forbs were separated and reported by lifeform. Succulents, suffrutescent, and <br />woody plants were not sampled. Production material was air dried until weights vazied by no <br />more than 0.1 g. <br />2.2.4 Species Composition <br />Species composition information was derived from quantitative vegetation cover data. <br />Relative cover information provided a basis for evaluation of the importance of each <br />encountered plant species and lifeform and for comparison to the final revegetation success <br />criterion. The tables presenting data summaries for total vegetation cover for each area <br />sampled also contain the relative cover by species, and a column depicting the numerical <br />ranking of each species by relative cover within the area. <br />2.2.5 Woody Plant Density <br />Woody plant density data was collected through the use of belt transects 50 square meters in <br />area. Belt transect were centered along the 25 meter vegetation cover transect, and woody <br />' • plants were counted by species within one meter either side of the center transect tine. Only <br />woody plants rooted within the transect were counted. Succulents and suffrutescent species <br />were not counted in this survey. As with vegetation cover data, each belt transect served as a <br />sample unit. <br />2.3 SAMPLE NUMBERS/SAMPLE ADEQUACY <br />Sample adequacy was calculated for total vegetation cover and woody plant density. Given <br />the relatively large standard deviation for total herbaceous production values, the maximum <br />fifty samples identified in CDMG vegetation guidelines were collected. For the purposes of <br />this study, vegetation cover and woody plant density sampling was undertaken to sample <br />adequacy. A minimum of fifteen samples per parameter were taken. Pazameters were tested <br />at the 90% confidence level. Calculated minimum sample numbers and standard deviations <br />aze reported as an indication of variability of the sampled pazameters. Comparisons between <br />sample mean pazameter values assume that the sample mean value accurately represents the <br />population mean in all cases. The following formula was used for sample adequacy <br />calculations: <br />(t)2 (s)2 <br />nmin - ---------------~ <br />(d Xbaz)2 <br /> <br />National King Coal LLC Page 3 <br />King II Mine 2005 Baseline Vegatation Report <br />